Chapter 3 - The Gala & The Trap
The Vance Annual Charity Gala was held at the Plaza Hotel's grand ballroom—a cavernous display of crystal chandeliers, white orchids, and ruthless wealth.
Emma stood at the top of the marble staircase, her hand resting on the polished mahogany railing. She wore a floor-length emerald green silk gown with a subtle slit up the side and a low-cut back. Her hair was swept up into an elegant chignon, exposing the delicate line of her neck.
Beside her, Daniel looked lethally handsome in a tailored black tuxedo.
"You look stunning," he murmured in her ear, his hand finding the small of her bare back. The heat of his palm sent ripples of awareness through her entire body. "Half the men in this room are looking at you."
"Let them look," Emma replied, tilting her chin up. "We're here to work."
"God, you're perfect," Daniel muttered under his breath.
As they descended the stairs, the sea of elite New Yorkers parted. Whispers erupted immediately. The media cameras flashed in a frantic rhythm. Daniel Whitmore had never brought an employee as his personal date to a high-society event.
"Daniel!"
A sharp, sweet voice cut through the chatter. Victoria Vance glided toward them, wearing a glittering diamond collar and a crimson dress designed to demand attention. She didn't even look at Emma at first; her eyes were locked entirely on Daniel.
"I didn't think you'd actually show up," Victoria said, leaning in to kiss Daniel's cheek. Daniel subtly leaned back, avoiding the contact and offering a stiff hand instead.
"I never miss an opportunity to see your brother waste his money," Daniel said dryly.
Victoria's smile tightened. She finally turned her gaze to Emma, scanning her from head to toe with icy disdain. "And who is this? Your new assistant? I didn't realize Whitmore Enterprises was bringing staff to black-tie events."
"Emma Summers is my Senior Strategic Advisor," Daniel said, his tone carrying an edge of warning that could cut glass. "And she is the reason your brother's tender offer for Apex is going to fail by noon tomorrow."
Victoria laughed softly, a bitter sound. "Is that what she told you? You always were vulnerable to a pretty face with a degree, Daniel." She leaned closer to Emma, her eyes venomous. "Enjoy the party, Miss Summers. But remember—men like Daniel don't keep women like you around once the deal closes."
Before Emma could respond, a tall, sharp-featured man with slicked-back hair joined them. Julian Vance.
"Daniel," Julian said, his voice dripping with false warmth. "Glad you made it. I see you brought your new shadow."
"Vance," Daniel said curtly.
"Let's drop the act, Whitmore," Julian said, taking a sip of champagne. "I know about the offshore accounts in the Cayman Islands. I know Apex has been hiding thirty million in debt. And I know your little advisor here missed it in her initial audit."
Emma's heart gave a sudden, painful thud. "What?"
Julian pulled a folded sheet of paper from his tuxedo pocket and handed it to Daniel. "A leak from your own server, Whitmore. Sent to my office two hours ago. It seems Miss Summers' personal laptop accessed those encrypted files last night. She hid the debt from you. Or maybe... she was working for me all along?"
The ballroom seemed to spin. Heads turned in their direction. The silence around their group was deafening.
Emma looked at Daniel, her eyes wide with shock. "Daniel, no! I didn't—I never accessed encrypted files on my personal laptop! I don't even have access to the Cayman records!"
Daniel stared at the paper. His face was an unreadable mask of cold marble.
"Daniel, please look at me," Emma begged softly, her voice cracking. "You know me. You know I would never betray you."
Julian smiled like a cat that had caught a canary. "The evidence is clear, Whitmore. She's a security risk. Your board will have her fired by morning. And Apex is mine."
Daniel slowly raised his eyes from the paper. He looked at Julian, then at Victoria, and finally, his gaze settled on Emma.
For three terrifying seconds, Emma thought her life was over. She thought the dream was dead, that he was going to destroy her just like he destroyed every rival who crossed him.
Then, Daniel did something that shocked everyone in the room.
He tore the paper in half. Then in quarters. And let the pieces fall to the polished floor.
"You're getting predictable, Julian," Daniel said calmly.
Julian's smile vanished. "What?"
"Emma didn't leak those files," Daniel said, his voice ringing out clearly across the silent ballroom. "Because those files don't exist. I planted that fake document on a bait server three days ago to see who in my company was selling information to you."
Victoria gasped softly, stepping back.
Daniel stepped closer to Julian, his posture towering and lethal. "The IP address that accessed those fake files didn't belong to Emma. It belonged to your sister's personal assistant. You bought off my IT director, Vance. But you failed to realize that Emma had already caught the leak forty-eight hours ago."
Emma stared at Daniel, her mouth slightly open. He had known? He had set the trap using her work as the shield?
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"Your hostile takeover is dead," Daniel whispered cold fiercely into Julian's face. "And if you ever use Emma's name to play your pathetic corporate games again, I won't just buy Apex. I'll buy your company and dismantle it piece by piece."
Daniel turned, grabbed Emma's hand tightly in his, and led her away from the stunned crowd, leaving the Vance siblings standing in ruined silence.
